MIT-SCIENCE-Lectures-ln31handout3

Week #3 Class 1 24.901

1.model of grammar:

[semantics] -> “meaning” -> [thought, action] [lexicon] -> “words” -> [syntax] -> “sentences”

[phonology] -> “sounds” -> [articulation, acoustics]

[2]. lexical entries:

?strings of sounds, each sound a matrix of features

?unpredictable features that encode the vocabulary

?languages make different selections

?choices may depend on context

[3]. Phonological rules change feature structure depending on context

[4]. Output constraints: may block or activate rules: e.g. *SS blocks t -> ∫ (recall transmission [ ∫] but digestion [t∫]; and pl. comma-[z], lip-[s], lid-[z], buss-[iz], fuse-[iz], brush-[ iz]

[5]. Major questions: For any given lg. what are the lexical entries, what are the rules and constraints? Can we develop a theory that characterizes their nature?

[6]. Alternations: the phenomenon: the same lexical entry may have different phonetic shapes depending on the context. Various types:

?suppletion: go≈went

?lexically restricted but phonologically defined context (allomorphy):

a boy, a girl, a house; an apple, an elephant, a good apple

?phonologically defined; may recapitulate and be the product of rules

distributing allophones (recall English lateral: real [l] but reality [l])?or distinctive, lexically contrastive: transmit [t], transmission [∫]; confess [s], confession [∫].

?rules distributing allophones are also ordered: Canadian Raising and

flapping.

[ ?j]life, lice, blithe, type, tight, bike

[ay]dive, rise, tythe, tide, time, tile, tie

atom [?], atomic [t h]; metal [?], metalic[t h]; bet [t], bettors [?]

idyl [?], idyllic [d]; red [d] , redder [?]; bed [d], bedding [?]

write [ ?j], writer [r ?j??r ] but ride [aj], rider [r aj??r]

?rule may be restricted to various domains

word-internal: life [ ?j], vs. lie free [aj]

unrestricted: flapping: atom, at Ann’s, hit Ann [?]

juncture (sandhi) rules: Moore (Gur, Burkina Faso)á = high tone

à = low tone

sá:gà‘broom’bédà‘big’!á = downstep high

kòrgó‘sack’kè:gá‘green’

kò sá:gà‘give a broom’kór bédà‘big sacks’

kò kòrgó‘give a sack’kòr kè:gá‘green sack’

zá sá:gà‘bring a broom’sá bédà‘big brooms’

zá kórg!ó‘bring a sack’sá ké:g!á‘green broom’[7]. Buli (Gur, NE Ghana): á = high tone, = a mid tone, à = low tone, a = rising tone

indef def

bí:k bí:ká‘child’

ba ?ba ?ka ban?le

ba ?ba n ka lizard

buo buo ?a ?oats

wi m a wi m a ?a monkeys

ni ??a ni ??a ?a e yes

bi s a bi s a ?a children

na ?b cow na ?b f ? ?k small cow

bu ?k w?oat bu ?k w f i ?k small ?oat

ba ?lizard ba ? f i ?k small lizard

mi na ?b my cow wa na ?b his cow

mi bu ?k w my ?oat wa bu ?k w his ?oat

mi ba ?my lizard wa ba ?his lizard

ni ??a eyes wa ni ??a his eyes

na ?mu cow def.wa na ?mu his cow def.

bi ?k ma ??ood child wa bi ?k ma ?his ?ood child

bi ?k f i ?k small child wa bi ?k f i ?k his small child

wa ?ma mi na ?b he blamed my chief

wa ?ma mi bi ?k he blamed my child

[8] Russian

24.901Alternations 2

[9] Basque

Biscayan dialect

indef def

sagar sagar-a apple

gison gison-a man

buzten buzten-a tail

t∫akur t∫akur-e dog

mutil mutil-e boy

buru buru-we head

mendi mendi-ye mountain

ate ati-e door

asto astu-e donkey

Baztan dialect

indef def

gison gison-a man

egun egun-e day

mendi mendi-e mountain

buru buru-e head

et∫e et∫i-a house

a∫to a∫tu-a donkey

alaba alab-a daughter

neska nesk-a girl

muge mug-e limit, border

fabrike fabrik-e factory

Arbizu dialect

stem ergative

gison gison-ak man

t∫akur t∫akur-ek dog

a∫to a∫tu-ek donkey

berde berdi-ek green ones

e∫ku e∫ku-bek hand

mendi mendi-d?ek mountain

alaba alab-ak daughter